Customers At Risk Of Credit Card Security Breach

Payments processor Heartland Payment Systems Inc. said the system they used to process Visa, Master Card, American Express and Discover Card transactions was breached last year.

The Wall Street Journal reported the data compromised included card numbers, expiration dates and internal bank codes, all of which could be used to duplicate cards.

Robert Baldwin, Heartland's president and chief financial officer, said it was too early to quantify the data stolen. "We understand that this incident may be the result of a widespread global cyber fraud operation, and we are cooperating closely with the United States Secret Service and Department of Justice," Baldwin said in the statement.

Customers should examine their monthly statements and report any suspicious activity to car issuers, company officials said.

Heartland Payment Systems Inc. has established a Web site,

www.2008breach.com

to provide information and advises cardholders to examine their monthly statements and report suspicious activity to card issuers.

Chase Bank is one of the establishments affected by the breach and released this statement: "We are presently conducting a thorough investigation of the impact on Chase customers."

Other institutions, like the Michigan Catholic Credit Union, have already started to notify members their accounts may have been breached.

Heartland would not release to Local 4 its list of Michigan merchants but instead directed anyone with questions to their

Web site.

Cardholders can also call 866-399-6228.